Travelog—Flatsboro, North Carolina—as told by Andy Clark from A Simple Kindness in Flatsboro
Flatsboro, North Carolina won’t make any Top Tourist Town lists, for sure, but I don’t know anywhere else I’d rather be. I don’t say that just because it’s the only place I’ve ever lived, either. Flatsboro really is a special place.
My home is Maple Ridge Apartments, which is the only apartment complex in town. The downtown area of Flatsboro, if you can call it that, has two main roads which intersect—Church Street and Chestnut Street. There’s a church on Church Street, obviously—my church next to the apartments, to be specific—but there’s also a church on Chestnut Street. Ironically, there aren’t any chestnut trees on either street, though there are plenty of crepe myrtles and red maples. From my apartment, 1A, I set out on foot and travel these two main streets almost daily, to Spangler’s Foods about a mile away and back.
Across the street from the church is the elementary school. I enjoy hearing the kids laughing and having fun on the playground when I pass by. I often see my friend Paul, the mailman, on my walk, too. We usually stop and chat for a while, somewhere near Shoppes on the Corner. The building used to be an old general store and has an awesome covered front porch, but the space is now shared by three businesses. Two are offices, not “shops”—for a family counselor and a divorce attorney. Another irony: the one shop in the building sells wedding dresses.
Now that I think of it, even Flatsboro’s name is ironic. My town is in the Piedmont region of the state, which comes from two Italian words for “foot” and “hill.” The landscape makes pedaling my bicycle out to the cemetery to visit my mama a bit of a challenge, but it’s worth it. From certain high points in Flatsboro, you can see the mountains off in the distance, so blue it’s sometimes hard to tell where the mountains stop and the sky begins.
There are no big box stores or franchises in Flatsboro. That’s on purpose. There are plenty of those types of places a short drive away in the city. On Chestnut Street, other than Spangler’s Foods, there’s the beauty shop that my friend Sadie owns, a florist, an insurance agency, an auto repair shop, and several other small businesses. There’s also a little free pantry box, painted red with white trim. Pretty yellow flowers grow around the base of the pantry in the spring. The box gets filled almost every day, for those down on their luck who might need a few groceries.
Maybe what I’ve described so far hasn’t convinced you that Flatsboro is special. After all, there are rolling hills and churches and pretty trees in lots of places. But it’s the people that make my home somewhere I never want to leave. In addition to Paul and Sadie, there’s my pastor, Philip, and his wife, Laurie—two of the most giving, loving people I’ve ever known. I’ve got Mrs. Garcia here, too. She’s my neighbor in 1C. She lives alone, and we look out for each other, especially since my best friend and roommate died. I’d tell you about the two special people who live in 1D now, but that’s kind of a long story. There’s Mrs. Stimpson, who’s been the town librarian almost as long as I’ve been alive. Of course, I can’t forget Joyce, my favorite cashier at Spangler’s. I even appreciate the two guys who hang out on the wooden bench outside the gas station every day as if it’s their life’s calling. Maybe it is. Just to give Flatsboro a little more character. I wonder if anyone in Flatsboro thinks that way about me, that Andy Clark is part of what makes our town what it is.
No, Flatsboro won’t make any Top Tourist Town lists, but it’s definitely worth a visit. You’re sure to run into plenty of folks who’ll make you feel as welcomed as rain in a drought, and if you hang around long enough, you’ll probably find there’s more to the people of Flatsboro than meets the eye.
A Southern Novel
A small dose of kindness can go a long way
Andy Clark has always been different. But it isn't just the tumorous mass covering half his face that sets him apart—it's his quiet kindness. As an anonymous do-gooder in Flatsboro, North Carolina, Andy lives out what his mama taught him, even though she's no longer there.
Della Rose Miller, a well-known former beauty queen, escapes her crumbling marriage to arrogant Wade Miller and moves back to her hometown in hopes of finding reprieve. She and her daughter settle into a little Flatsboro apartment and quickly learn that they’re in the same complex as a childhood classmate whose heart Della Rose broke in third grade.
With her life turned upside down, Della Rose is uneasy about starting fresh, but when unassuming Andy turns his generosity toward her daughter, an unlikely friendship rekindles. When a heroic act suddenly pushes Andy into the spotlight, he risks his anonymity and quiet day-to-day habits to stand up for what's right.
As Della Rose navigates the end of her marriage and Andy continues his secret philanthropy, they navigate grief and trusting God. Heather Norman Smith weaves a charming and heartwarming Southern story to remind you of the power of simple kindness.
Contemporary | Christian [Kregel Publications, On Sale: September 16, 2025, Trade Paperback / e-Book, ISBN: 9780825455643 / eISBN: 9780825455667]
Heather Norman Smith is the author of inspirational fiction set in her home state of North Carolina. She won Contemporary Novel of the Year in the 2023 Golden Scroll Awards for her book Songs for a Sunday and was a finalist in the 2022 Selah Awards for her book New Wine Transportation Company. Heather is a member of Word Weavers International, American Christian Fiction Writers, and Advanced Writers and Speakers Association. She lives just outside Winston-Salem with her husband, their four children, and several pets. For more information go to her website.
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